BROADCASTS.com

READ: PHILIPPIANS 3:7-21; 4:10-13\n\n\n\nDo you ever feel like there\u2019s something you need to have in order to be happy? In our world of uncertainty, it can be tempting to think that something\u2014 some piece of technology or clothing or jewelry, some rental property or car or brand name\u2014can bring us the satisfaction we crave or solve all our problems. Sometimes, we can get so focused on getting that thing, that we lose sight of our neighbors and our Creator. We end up choosing greed and violence instead of following the way of Jesus. We get lost in chasing after created things rather than walking in the love and service of our Savior.\n\n\n\nBut it doesn\u2019t have to be this way. Because the reality is, in Christ, we already have true riches. We have the promise that God loves us, that He is with us every moment of every day, and that He is making all things new through Jesus\u2019s death and resurrection\u2014He is freeing all of creation from sin and its effects. Yet, as we wait in eager anticipation for Jesus\u2019s return, we live in the already-not-yet tension of God\u2019s kingdom. We see glimpses of His restoration, but we also long for the day all things will be made fully right and whole (Revelation 21:1-5).\n\n\n\nSo, as we live in this tension, we can count our blessings. And that\u2019s not as clich\xe9 as it sounds. Because as we spend time pondering all the good things God has done for us, we find ourselves becoming more joyful, more peaceful, and more able to say \u201cno\u201d to the greed and violence and other temptations of our broken world.\n\n\n\nAnd counting our blessings can be as simple as making a list. We can list the promises we find in the Bible. We can list things in nature that remind us of our Creator\u2019s love and goodness. We can list all the ways He has been providing for our physical needs through things like food, clothes, and shelter. We can list things that delight us, like our favorite flavors and colors. And we can list the relationships in our lives that remind us of Jesus\u2019s love\u2014whether we see that in friends, family, teachers, pastors, church family, or other loved ones. All these good gifts come from God! And as we rest in God\u2019s abundant love for us, we start to crave possessions less and less. Things we own don\u2019t last that long, but knowing Jesus lasts forever. In Him, we find true riches\u2014love that satisfies our deepest longings and purpose beyond ourselves. \u2022 A. W. Smith\n\n\n\n\u2022 Consider making a list of blessings\u2014where do you see God\u2019s love in your life? Then, put your list in a safe spot so that, when you need encouragement, it\u2019s readily available to you.\n\n\n\nBe thankful in all circumstances, for this is God\u2019s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)